Some women reach for the stars and build their own ladder to get there.

Birmingham-based Asmah Bibi is one of those women (there’s a photo of her in that link).

We stumbled across her story by accident, online. Reading about her journey, her ambition, her determination to better not only herself but also the world around her, inspired us.

And in a funny twist on that theme, Asmah Bibi is actually dubbed ‘The Inspirationalist’.

Not so long ago, Bibi was in a dark place. She was trapped in a marriage for 15 years where she was the victim of domestic abuse. Looking to the outside world for support, she found a place where she thought Muslim women were not always given the leg up, the opportunities, the support to succeed.

So she decided to construct an environment where they would be. And she started with herself.

“I believe the sky is not the limit because I have learnt that Allah’s bounty is limitless,” she says. “When you learn to Trust that Allah has a great plan for you then your confidence in life will start to grow. You will see things happening to you when this belief becomes stronger. This is what is known as Tawakkul (Trust in Allah).”

Bibi began by training as a life coach. She knew this would help her find purpose in life, sorting out her own issues and equipping her to help others, too.

She lists her achievements following her escape from her marriage and her new-found determination to change things for the better on her website. These include: passing her driving test; running a support group at her local mosque; writing articles for the Productive Muslim site; acquiring two senior roles in her day job as a nurse; and renewing her faith by praying and practicing deen more.

In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, she said: “Nothing comes easy on a silver platter; that is the way of the world. However, with the right mind-set, unflinching drive, a strategic plan and unwavering hard work, everything is possible – and most importantly enjoyable!”

And by achieving such wonders, she’s fast becoming noted by other Muslim women around the world.

As if to symbolise her reaching for the stars, Bibi plans to climb the highest mountain in Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro – later this year (see the main image above). She’s doing it not only as yet another monumental challenge to overcome, but also to raise money for orphaned girls.

It’s going to be quite a journey. And it will reflect Bibi’s own drive to reach the top.

“My foremost aspiration is to be a timeless model to women,” she says. “I hope they look up to me while knowing that they can achieve anything in life that they put their minds to.”